Tuberculosis vaccine and method of using same

ABSTRACT

Provided is a pharmaceutical composition that includes one or more inactivated  Mycobacterium  spp., which are preferably inactivated using gamma irradiation, and which is then formulated for mucosal or pulmonary delivery to a subject. The pharmaceutical compositions are useful for preventing or treating  mycobacterium -associated infections in a subject, including a human subject.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage application, filed under 35 U.S.C.§371, of International Application No. PCT/US2008/060065, filed on Apr.11, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No.60/923,301, filed on Apr. 12, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a vaccine against tuberculosis and moreparticularly to a vaccine using inactivated Mycobacterium spp.formulated for pulmonary and mucosal delivery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) infects one third of the world'shuman population¹. The common tuberculosis (TB) vaccine known as the BCGvaccine is given to neonates in developing countries. While this vaccineprotects against meningeal and disseminated TB in children, it fails toadequately protect the establishment of latent TB or reactivation ofpulmonary disease in adult life². Moreover, BCG effectiveness isreported to decline over a period of 10-15 years³. The most common typeof tuberculosis disease is pulmonary and transmission occurs via aerosoldroplets expressed during coughing. Thus, despite the high prevalence ofBCG vaccination, the disease burden has not decreased. There is nowevidence to support that M. tb mycobacterial lineages may have adaptedto mutations in antigens common to both M. tb and BCG^(4,5). Moreover,recent studies suggest that BCG delivered parenterally may fail toinduce T-cell immune responses in the lung mucosa, which may be criticalfor protection against pulmonary disease^(6,7). Given these reasons, anew vaccine is imperative to decrease the prevalence of TB throughoutthe World.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a vaccine for preventing and/or treatingtuberculosis. The invention can be utilized with a number of vaccinationstrategies: prophylactically-given prior to infection to preventinfection, post-exposure to eliminate or contain latent TB and preventreactivation. It can either be used to replace BCG and/or as a boosterto BCG in patients who have already received BCG or another subunit TBimmunostimulant.

In one aspect, the invention provides a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising an inactivated Mycobacterium spp., wherein the composition isformulated for intranasal, mucosal or intrapulmonary delivery to amammalian host, and wherein the composition comprises an immunologicallyprotective dose when delivered to the host.

Suitable Mycobacterium spp. include, e.g.,M. tuberculosis, M. marinum,M. bovis, M. africanum, or M. microtti. In some embodiments, theinactivated Mycobacterium spp. cells are killed cells or cell lysates.

In some embodiments, at least 90% of the Mycobacterium spp. cells areinactivated, e.g., 95%, 98%, 99%, or 100% of the Mycobacterium spp.cells. When the subject is a human, 100% of the Mycobacterium spp. cellsare preferably inactivated.

In some embodiments, the Mycobacterium spp. is inactivated withirradiation. Preferably irradiation is with gamma irradiation.

In other embodiments, the Mycobacterium spp. is inactivated withformalin or heat.

In some embodiments, the Mycobacterium spp. is inactivated with osmoticpressure via salts or drying process.

The pharmaceutical composition may optionally include an adjuvant toenhance an immune response in the host.

The pharmaceutical composition may optionally include a pharmaceuticallyacceptable carrier, or be provided lyophilized.

In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition is formulated forintranasal delivery to the host.

In addition, the pharmaceutical composition is provided as an aerosol orspray package.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a pharmaceutical compositionthat includes a gamma-irradiated Mycobacterium spp. that is formulatedfor intranasal or intrapulmonary delivery to a mammalian host and whichconfers an immunologically protective dose when delivered to the host,e.g., a human.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of vaccinating amammal against TB. The method includes administering to the mammal acomposition comprising inactivated Mycobacterium spp., wherein thevaccination of the mammal is intranasal or intrapulmonary, and whereinthe composition comprises an immunologically protective dose whendelivered to the host.

In another aspect, the invention provides an immunostimulant thatfacilitates delivery of another antigen.

In one aspect, the invention provides a pharmaceutical compositioncomprising an inactivated Mycobacterium spp., wherein the composition isformulated for intranasal, mucosal or intrapulmonary delivery to amammalian host, and wherein the composition comprises an immunologicallyprotective dose when delivered to the host.

Suitable Mycobacterium spp. for use in the method include, e.g., M.tuberculosis, M. marinum, M. bovis, M. africanum, or M. microtti. Insome embodiments, the inactivated Mycobacterium spp. cells are killedcells or cell lysates. In some embodiments, at least 90% of theMycobacterium spp. cells are inactivated, e.g., 95%, 98%, 99%, or 100%of the Mycobacterium spp. cells. When the subject is a human, 100% ofthe Mycobacterium spp. cells are preferably inactivated.

In some embodiments, the Mycobacterium spp. for use in the method isinactivated with irradiation. Preferably irradiation is with gammairradiation. In other embodiments, the Mycobacterium spp. is inactivatedwith formalin or heat.

The pharmaceutical composition for use in the method may optionallyinclude an adjuvant to enhance a protective immune response in the host.

The pharmaceutical composition for use in the method may optionallyinclude a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, or be providedlyophilized.

In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition for use in themethod is formulated for intranasal delivery to the host.

In addition, the pharmaceutical composition for use in the method isprovided as an aerosol or spray package.

In some embodiments, the pharmaceutical composition is delivered througha device configured for nasal or pulmonary delivery.

In a still further aspect, the invention provides a method for preparinga vaccine for treating Mycobacterium infection, comprising formulatingan immunologically protective dose of an inactivated Mycobacterium spp.for intranasal or pulmonary delivery to a mammalian host.

In some embodiments, the method includes testing the vaccine in anon-human animal model of tuberculosis. The animal model can be, e.g., amouse, guinea pig, rabbit, bovine, or non-human primate.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materialssimilar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in thepractice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods andmaterials are described below. All publications, patent applications,patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated byreference in their entirety. In the case of conflict, the presentspecification, including definitions, will control. In addition, thematerials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intendedto be limiting.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description and claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A vaccine according to the invention is prepared using one or moreinactivated Mycobacterium spp. that is then formulated for pulmonary andmucosal delivery to a subject. The inactivated mycobacterium, whendelivered to the lung or mucosal/nasal mucosa of a subject is postulatedto elicit a much stronger immune response than has been observed withpreviously described Tb vaccines.

Research in an influenza murine model suggests that pulmonary immunecells remain localized and only a few B cells and T cells migratesystemically.^(8,9) The research shows that key influenza-specific CD8-Tcells can remain locked within a semi-isolated circuit within the chest,barely reaching the bloodstream or the peripheral lymphoid tissue butinstead cycling between the respiratory mucosa and the local lymphnodes. Zammit et al suggest that one reason may be the special anatomyof the lung lymphatic drainage⁸. Cells entering the thoracic duct fromthe local pulmonary nodes are fed to the lung in the pulmonary arterialblood. Some may pass through to the systemic circulation, but activatedcells tend to adhere to the vascular endothelium and move back into thelung, thus keeping cells at the site of infection. From here the cellsagain move to the local nodes where they re-encounter antigen. Indeed,it has been found in the murine TB model that antigen specific memoryT-cells preferentially home back to the site of vaccination and that thelocation of T cells in the airway at the time of infection is ofimportance¹⁰⁻¹¹.

Applying these findings to the instant invention, then, for a TB vaccineto be successful in evoking a protective immune response in thepulmonary and respiratory mucosal system, it preferably directlystimulates the antigen-presenting cells in the respiratory epithelium.The invention accomplishes this by delivering irradiated mycobacteriumdirectly to the pulmonary and mucosal interface.

One study published in 1968 reported no adverse effects when aerogenicBCG was given to 439 children¹². In experimental animal species, aerosolor intra-tracheal delivery of BCG varied in efficacy from superiorprotection than parenteral inoculation in primates¹³, cattle¹⁴ guineapigs¹⁵, and mice^(16,17,18,19) to no apparent advantage over thesubcutaneous route in other studies²⁰. Other studies showed immuneresponse was dependent on initial BCG inoculum dose^(12,21).

Recently, several research groups have published data on using mucosalM. tb subunit vaccines as booster when administered weeks after primaryimmunization in the murine model. Goonetilleke et al findings supportthe importance of homing properties of T cells when exposed torecombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara, expressing Mycobacteriumtuberculosis Ag 85A. Intranasal boosting induced a five fold higher Tcell response in the lungs than parenteral BCG thereby providing supportthat T cells in the lungs are in some form compartmentalized²².Santosuosso et al showed that an intranasal adenoviral vector expressingAg85A boosted primary CD4 and CD8 T-cell response in the airway lumenand enhanced protection against pulmonary M. tuberculosis challenge²³.Other studies in mice using mycobacterial antigens (Ag 85A or Ag85B-ESAT-6) in either recombinant bacterial/viral vectors or withproteins and adjuvants given mucosally as a booster have shownprotective immunity when compared to standard parenteral BCG whenchallenged with live M. tb ^(24,25,26). All of these studies showedstatistically fewer colony forming units of mycobacteria in the lungsand spleen after the mucosal subunit vaccine boost when compared to BCGalone.

The adaptive immune response to live M. tuberculosis infection isdelayed compared to other infections and this allows the bacillipopulation in the lungs to markedly increase during the preimmune phaseof the infection²⁷. By using dead baciili in an aerosolized vaccineformulation there is no multiplying mycobacteria and the immune responsewould have adequate time to respond to the antigens on the cell wall ofthe bacteria. In addition, over thousands of years through fitnesschallenges M. tb has found many ways to evade the innate immune responseduring initial antigen presentation^(28,29,30,31). Dead mycobacteria donot have the ability to produce enzymes that evoke ways to evade thehuman immune system and avoid successful antigen presentation.

One reason we believe this method of using killed whole mycobacteriumhas been overlooked in the past is due to studies performed by RobertKoch in the late 19^(th) century³². Koch used a sterile filtrate from M.tuberculosis cultures as a therapeutic vaccine in subjects. This inducedsuch a severe inflammatory immune response in some individual's withactive disease, that some died. Known as the Koch phenomenon, thisnecrotic reaction appears to be due to overproduction of severalpro-inflammatory cytokines but in particular TNF-α³³. This incidenthaunted vaccinologists for decades and we believe scientists have sinceoverlooked the potential use of whole bacilli. Whole killedmycobacterium will be utilized in low enough quantities to avoid anoverwhelming inflammatory reaction and yet still elicit a strongimmunoprotective response

In general, any type of inactivation procedure can be used as long asthe treatment leaves the population of bacteria unable to produce aproductive infection at the host, while at the same time preservingantigenic structures necessarily for eliciting a productive response tothe corresponding disease-causing mycobacterium. The mycobacteriumpreparation is typically incapacitated. By “incapacitated” in thecontext of an incapacitated bacterial cell produced according to theinvention, is meant that the bacterial cell is in a state ofirreversible bacteriostasis. While the bacterium retains itsstructure—and thus retains, for example, the immunogenicity,antigenicity, and/or receptor-ligand interactions associated with awild-type bacterium—it is not capable of replicating. In someembodiments, it is incapable of replication due to the presence of aninfecting phage with in the bacterial cell.

A preferred type of inactivation is gamma-irradiation. Other types ofinactivation known in the art include, e.g., other types of radiation(including ultra-violet irradiation), formalin treatment, and heattreatment. In some embodiments for non-human use, >70% of the cells arekilled. In the embodiments for human use, 100% of the cells are killed.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is postulated thatgamma-irradiated Mycobacterium are especially suitable for use in thecompositions and methods of the invention. Gamma-irradiated bacteria arecommonly used in the laboratory because they are considered safe and donot replicate. In many trials, they have nevertheless been shown toelicit an immunoprotective response, including responses elicited byantigens on the bacilli wall^(34,35,36). In addition, gamma irradiatedmycobacterium undergo apoptosis and become engulfed by dendritic cells.Dendritic cells present the mycobacterium antigens to T-cells, whichactivate CD4 Th1 and CD8 cytotoxic cells. Gamma-irradiated M. tb canalso induce nitric oxide release ³⁴ and can elicit similar Th2 responsesto live M. tb ³⁵. In 1963, Nishihara et al intradermally injectedgamma-irradiated M. tb into mice and found it was equally as protectiveas BCG injected intradermally against aerosol challenge with M. tb ³⁷.

Delivery of the irradiated bacteria or the bacterial antigens to thelung and mucosal border is believed to facilitate an effective immuneresponse in the host. Upon delivery to the nasal mucosa or alveolarpassages, the bacteria or bacteria antigens are detected by antigenpresenting cells, specifically dendritic cells at thealveoli/interstitial space of the lung. These dendritic cells thenmigrate to the regions enriched in naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and whichconstitute the paracortical zone of the regional lymph nodes of thelung. These T cells are activated by the dead bacilli's antigens. Thedead mycobacteria will become phagocytosed by macrophages.

In general, any Mycobacterium species or strain that is a member of theM. tuberculosis complex can be used in the composition and methods ofthe invention. Suitable species, Mycobacterium which are members of theM. tb complex include, e.g, Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacteriumafricanum, Mycobacterium microtti, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.Mycobacterium that are genetically similar include Mycobacteriumcanettii and Mycobacterium marinum. The particular species orcombination of species is selected for the corresponding host speciesand type Mycobacterium associated disease to be treated. OtherMycobacteria that cause disease in humans include, e.g., Mycobacteriumavium intracellulare, Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium lepraemurium,Mycobacteria paratuberculosis, Mycobacterium ulcerans, Mycobacteriumsmegmatis, Mycobacterium xenopi, Mycobacterium chelonei, Mycobacteriumfortuitum, Mycobacterium farcinogenes, Mycobacterium flavum,Mycobacterium haemophilum, Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium phlei,Mycobacterium scrofulaceum, Mycobacterium senegalense, Mycobacteriumsimiae, Mycobacterium thermoresistible, and Mycobacterium xenopi.

The mycobacterium to be used in the pharmaceutical composition caninclude whole cells or portions of cells, e.g., cell lysates. Forexample, suitable components include a gamma irradiated whole celllysate, gamma irradiated culture filtrate proteins, gamma irradiatedcell wall fraction, gamma irradiated cell membrane fraction, gammairradiated cytosol fraction, gamma irradiated soluble cell wallproteins, and gamma irradiated soluble protein pool.

Preparing Pharmaceutical Compositions

The killed cells are prepared for administration to a host by combininginactivated cells or cell lysates with a pharmaceutically acceptablecarrier to form a pharmaceutical composition. The carrier can be, e.g.,such as physiological saline, mineral oil, vegetable oils, aqueoussodium carboxymethyl cellulose, or aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone. In someembodiments, the carrier is sufficiently pure to be administeredtherapeutically to a human subject. Those of relevant skill in the artare well able to prepare suitable solutions using, for example, isotonicvehicles such as Sodium Chloride Injection, Ringer's Injection, orLactated Ringer's Injection. Preservatives, stabilizers, buffers,antioxidants and/or other additives may be included, as required.

A skilled person in the field familiar with the protocols, formulations,dosages and clinical practice associated with, e.g., the administrationof M. bovis BCG can in addition readily adapt these protocols for usewith pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention. The vaccinesare administered in a manner compatible with the dosage formulation, andin such amount as will be therapeutically effective and immunogenic. Thequantity to be administered depends on the subject to be treated,including, e.g., the capacity of the individual's immune system to mountan immune response, and the degree of protection desired. Suitabledosage ranges are of the order of several hundred micrograms activeingredient per vaccination with a preferred range from about 0.1 μg to1000 μg, such as in the range from about 1 μg to 300 μg, and especiallyin the range from about 10 μg to 50 μg. Suitable regimens for initialadministration and booster shots are also variable but are typified byan initial administration followed by subsequent inoculations or otheradministrations. Thus, the vaccine may be administered in a single doseor in a plurality of doses. In one embodiment, the vaccine may beadministered in two doses about 1-12 months apart. The subject may bevaccinated at any time, although it is preferred to administer thevaccine shortly (optimally about 10 days to two weeks) before periods ofanticipated stress, such as during shipping or other handling. It isalso envisioned that the vaccine may be administered to pregnant animalsprior to birth to increase production of hyper immune colostrum.

A composition may be administered alone or in combination with othertreatments or standard BCG vaccine, either simultaneously orsequentially dependent upon the condition to be treated. The compositioncan be administered after vaccination with BCG and therefore act as aboosting tuberculosis vaccine. Moreover, it may be given after aninitial subcutaneous inoculation of the whole killed bacilli followed byan intranasal or mucosal boost.

The killed cells may be incorporated into microparticles ormicrocapsules to prolong the exposure of the antigenic material to thesubject animal and hence protect the animal against infection for longperiods of time. The microparticles and capsules may be formed from avariety of well-known inert, biocompatible matrix materials usingtechniques conventional in the art. Suitable matrix materials include,e.g., natural or synthetic polymers such as alginates, poly(lacticacid), poly(lactic/glycolic acid), poly(caprolactone), polycarbonates,polyamides, polyanhydrides, polyortho esters, polyacetals,polycyanoacrylates, polyurethanes, ethytlene-vinyl acetate copolymers,polystyrenes, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, poly(vinylimidazole), chlorosulphonated polyolefins, polyethylene oxide, andparticularly agar and polyacrylates. Examples of techniques forincorporation of materials into microparticles or encapsulation whichmay be used herein are described by Sparks³⁸, Kydonius³⁹ , andEl-Nokaly⁴⁰ the contents of each of which are incorporated by referenceherein.

The inactivated mycobacterium may be contained in small particlessuspended in the water or saline. The vaccine formulations may alsocontain optional adjuvants, antibacterial agents or otherpharmaceutically active agents as are conventional in the art. Adjuvantsmay include but are not limited to salts, emulsions (including oil/watercompositions), saponins, liposomal formulations, virus particles,polypeptides, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS), nucleicacid-based compounds or other formulations utilizing certain atigens.Suitable adjuvants include, e.g., vegetable oils, alum, Freund'sincomplete adjuvant, or Freund's incomplete adjuvant, with oils andFreund's incomplete adjuvant being particularly preferred. Otheradjuvants include agents such as aluminum hydroxide or phosphate (alum),immune-stimulating complexes (ISCOMs), synthetic polymers of sugars(CARBOPOL®), aggregation of the protein in the vaccine by heattreatment, aggregation by reactivating with pepsin treated (Fab)antibodies to albumin, mixture with baterial cells such as C. parvum orendotoxins or lipopolysaccharide components of gram-negative bacteria,emulsion in physiologically acceptable oil vehicles such as mannidemono-oleate (Aracel A) or emulsion with 20 percent solution of aperfluorocarbon (Fluosol-DA) used as a block substitute may also beemployed.

The inactivated mycobacterium may be contained in a mucosal bacterialtoxin adjuvant such as the Escherichia coli labile toxin (LT) andcholera toxin (CT) or in CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN)⁴¹. Anotherpossible mucosal adjuvant Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a derivative andless toxic form of LPS, when combined with liposomes was found to inducemucosal immunoprotective responses⁴². One new adjuvant designed fornasal vaccination, Eurocine L3™, has been shown to induce long-lastingimmunity against TB in experimental animal models after intranasaladministration^(43—45). The adjuvant technology consists of a non-toxicpharmaceutical formulation based on a combination of endogenous andpharmaceutically accepted lipids. The vaccine may optionally includeadditional immune modulating substances such as cytokines or syntheticIFN-γ inducers such as poly I:C alone or in combination with theabove-mentioned adjuvants.

Still other adjuvants include microparticles or beads of biocompatiblematrix materials. The microparticles may be composed of anybiocompatible matrix materials as are conventional in the art, includingbut not limited to, agar and polyacrylates. The practitioner skilled inthe art will recognize that other carriers or adjuvants may be used aswell. For example, Chitosan or any bioadhesive delivery system which maybe used are described by Webb and Winkelstein⁴⁶ the contents of whichare incorporated by reference herein.

The pharmaceutical composition containing the inactivated mycobacteriumis preferably formulated for intranasal or intrapulmonary delivery usingmethods known in the art. The formulation of the irradiatedmycobacterium combined with the adjuvant is preferably selected tominimize side effects, such as inflammation, associated with vaccinationor may improve the formulation's stability. The adjuvant may also have arole as an immunostimulant or as a depot.

In some embodiments, the inactivated mycobacterium are delivered by therefinement of a nebulizer or via three types of compact portabledevices, the metered-dose inhaler (MDI) and the dry powder inhaler(DPI). Intranasal delivery can occur via the nasal spray, dropper ornasal metered drug delivery device. The inactive mycobacterium may bedelivered via a metered dose inhaler. Typically, only 10-20% of theemitted dose is deposited in the lung. The high velocity and largeparticle size of the spray causes approximately 50-80% of the drugaerosol to impact in the oropharyngeal region.

The mycobacterium may be contained in a dry powder formulation such asbut not limited to a sugar carrier system. The Sugar Carrier Systemcould include lactose, mannitol, and/or glucose. Lactose, mannitol, andglucose are all approved by the FDA as carriers. There are also largersugar particles such as lactose monohydrate—typically 50-100 micrometersin diameter, which remain in the naso-oropharynx but allows theinactivated bacilli to travel through the respiratory tree into thealveoli.⁴⁷

If desired, the mycobacterium may be contained in a liposomalformulation. Liposomes, like other inhaled particles reaching thealveoli, are cleared by macrophages. The processing, uptake andrecycling of liposomal phospholipids occurs through the same mechanismas endogenous surfactant via the alveolar type II cells.

A pharmaceutical composition containing the irradiated mycobacteriumdescribed above is administered to a suitable individual for preventingor treating tuberculosis. Reference herein to “tuberculosis” includesreference to pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculi. The terms“individual,” “subject,” “host,” and “patient,” are used interchangeablyherein and refer to any subject having a bacterial infection amenable totreatment using the therapeutic vaccine of the invention, and for whomtreatment or therapy is desired. The pharmaceutical composition can beprepared for any mammalian host that is susceptible to infection bymycobacterium. Suitable mammalian hosts include, e.g., farm animals suchas swine and bovine

The terms “treatment”, “treating”, “treat” and the like are used hereinto generally refer to obtaining a desired pharmacologic and/orphysiologic effect. The effect may be prophylactic in terms ofcompletely or partially preventing a disease or symptom thereof and/ormay be therapeutic in terms of a partial or complete stabilization orcure for a disease and/or adverse effect attributable to the disease.“Treatment” as used herein covers any treatment of a disease in asubject, particularly a mammalian subject, more particularly a human,and includes: (a) preventing the disease or symptom from occurring in asubject which may be predisposed to the disease or symptom but has notyet been diagnosed as having it; (b) inhibiting the disease symptom,i.e., arresting its development; or relieving the disease symptom, i.e.,causing regression of the disease or symptom (c) preventing reactivationof the disease in latent TB, i.e. preventing the bacilli fromtransitioning from a dormant to growth phase. Thus, administration ispreferably in a “prophylactically effective amount” or a“therapeutically effective amount” (as the case may be, althoughprophylaxis may be considered therapy), this being sufficient to showbenefit to the individual. The actual amount administered, and rate andtime-course of administration, will depend on the nature and severity ofwhat is being treated. Prescription of treatment, e.g. decisions ondosage etc, is within the responsibility of general practitioners andother medical or veterinarian personnel.

The subject treated with the vaccine typically will have or will developprotective immunity to an infecting bacterium. The term “protectiveimmunity” means that a vaccine, immunogenic composition or immunizationschedule that is administered to a mammal induces an immune responsethat prevents, retards the development of, or reduces the severity of adisease that is caused by a pathogenic bacterium or diminishes oraltogether eliminates the symptoms of the disease. By “infectingbacterium” is meant a bacterium that has established infection in thehost, and which may be associated with a disease or undesirable symptomas a result. Generally, infecting bacteria are pathogenic bacteria.

The phrase “in a sufficient amount to elicit an immune response” meansthat there is a detectable difference between an immune responseindicator measured before and after administration of a particularvaccine preparation or immunogenic composition. Animals given thevaccine trial will be tested against animals give intradermal BCG (asthe gold standard). Several weeks after the last vaccination, animalswill be challenged with aerosol virulent M. tb. The clinical andmolecular immune response will be evaluated several weeks afterchallenge with virulent M. tb.

Screening and Developing Tuberculosis Vaccines

A test vaccine can be screened or optimized by subjecting a populationof mycobacterium cells, or fractions thereof (as described above) tovarious inactivation regimens, preparing a candidate pharmaceuticalcomposition containing the treated cells or cell fractions and testingthe ability of the treated composition using the methods described aboveto elicit an immune response and/or mount an effective challenge tomycobacterium infection in a host.

The terms “immunogenic bacterial composition”, “immunogeniccomposition”, and “vaccine” are used interchangeably herein to mean apreparation capable of eliciting a cellular and/or humoral immuneresponse in a subject when administered in a sufficient amount to elicitan immune response to epitopes present in said preparation.

Immunopotency of the antigenic molecule expressed by the mycobacteriumcell or extract preparation, can be determined by monitoring the immuneresponse of test animals following immunization with the bacteriaexpressing the recombinant antigen. Test animals may include mice,guinea pigs, rabbits, bovine, non-human primates, and eventually humansubjects.

The immune response of the test subject can additionally be analyzed byvarious approaches such as: (a) T-cell associate cytokine production (b)plasma cytokine production (c) T cell proliferation, cytoxicity,cytokine profiles (d) T cell antigen repertoire (e) T cell regulatoryprofiles (f) mRNA profiles (g) innate immunity profiles (h) antibodyprofiles (i) genetics and (j) protection from disease and/or mitigationof infectious symptoms in immunized animals.

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Additional embodiments are within the claims.

1. A pharmaceutical aerosol or spray composition comprising animmunologically protective dose of inactivated whole Mycobacteriumtuberculosis (M.tb) and a carrier suitable for intranasal orintrapulmonary delivery, wherein the M.tb is inactivated by irradiationand wherein the immunologically protective dose of the inactivated wholeM.tb is an amount from 0.10 to 50 micrograms.
 2. The pharmaceuticalcomposition of claim 1, wherein 90% of the M.tb are inactivated.
 3. Thepharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein 100% of the M.tbinactivated.
 4. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1, wherein saidinactivation is by gamma irradiation.
 5. The pharmaceutical compositionof claim 1, further comprising M.tb cell lysates.
 6. The pharmaceutical,composition of claim 1, further comprising an adjuvant, provided thatthe adjuvant does not comprise lipids.
 7. The pharmaceutical compositionof claim 1, wherein said composition is lyophilized.
 8. A packagecomprising the pharmaceutical composition of claim
 1. 9. A method ofvaccinating a human against tuberculosis which comprises administeringthe composition of claim 1 to the human by an intranasal orintrapulmonary route.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least 90% ofthe M.tb are inactivated.
 11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1,wherein the composition does not comprise an adjuvant.